


Sharing Body Heat

by hufflepuff_true



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Hobbit Kink Meme, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 15:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1863180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuff_true/pseuds/hufflepuff_true
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"...to share body heat."<br/>"And by 'body heat' you mean..."<br/>"Cuddling," Kili supplied...</p><p>Five Times Bilbo was the one being cuddled and the One Time he was the one doing the cuddling.<br/>Fill for the Hobbit Kink Meme. (kinda... it spun off a bit)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharing Body Heat

**Author's Note:**

> Hobbit and characters: Not mine.

"Ah... Ah... Ahchoo!" Bilbo sniffled again before squirming down into his meager blankets. 

"He's too bloody cold; that's the problem!" muttered Oin.  He and the other dwarves were all gathered across the fire from their burglar.

"And what do you suggest we do, brother?  He's had three colds since we left, and we haven't even reached the damned mountains yet!" Gloin eyed the Hobbit like Bilbo had planned getting sick all along. 

"We have to keep him warmer and dryer.  Easiest way to do that is to share body heat."

"And by 'body heat' you mean..."

"Cuddling," Kili supplied for Dwalin, who looked like he might object the phrasing.  Oin nodded in agreement.  As one they all glanced at Bilbo, who looked simply miserable-- sitting close enough to the fire that he might be set alight.   Then they all looked at Thorin:  awaiting the final verdict.

"We can afford no more delays." And that was that.

*

**Fili and Kili**

"I'm still not sure about this," Bilbo reiterated for what felt like the 100th time since he was informed about the new... arrangement.

"Oin's orders!" Kili reminded him just a tad too cheerfully.  Bilbo sighed.  Best to resign himself to it.  For tonight at least. 

Fili busily arranged the three bedrolls to his liking before moving to lift the Hobbit into the middle.

"I can do it myself, thank you!" came the snapped voice.  The blonde shrugged good naturedly and allowed the man to settle himself as he would. 

Kili plopped down unabashedly and wiggled his way into a comfortable position, snuggling up with the blankets, pressing closer to Bilbo like he was a life-sized stuffed bear. Fili was less enthusiastic than his brother, but certainly didn't shy away from moving closer.

"Really! This is completely unnecessary," This indignant statement was followed by several hard coughs.

"Just humor us, Master Baggins.  Now go to sleep; I've got second watch," Fili then promptly fell asleep.

Bilbo sighed and closed his eyes to inhale deeply, gradually drifting off to sleep.  Kili snuffled a bit.  Pressed closer.  It was warmer... Not quite as uncomfortable or awkward as he thought it would be--sleeping next to someone he didn't really know. 

**Bofur**

It wasn't long before Bilbo was feeling better.  Even Oin was impressed by his recovery. "We Hobbits are a resilient people," Bilbo chimed, happy to be in good health yet again. 

Which is why he was so appalled to find himself sniffling again within the fortnight. This led to Bilbo finding a certain hatted-Dwarf named Bofur setting up their bedrolls by the fire. 

"You don't need to do that Bofur! Oin said I've recovered.  All I have now is a runny nose," Bilbo clapped his friend on the shoulder and smiled.

"Not your call, laddie.  Don't want you catchin' sick right after you've gotten better."  It was impossible to say no to the miner's bright grin.

"Alright, alright.  But no more after tonight.  I'm not an invalid, you know."  The Dwarf just smirked at him.

After dinner the both laid down, more than ready to sleep after all the riding and worked they'd done that day.  Bilbo was slowly starting to accept this... this cuddling thing that the Dwarves seemed so insistent on.  After all, sleeping in the wild was a cold business--even in the middle of the summer. 

Sleeping next to Bofur was different than sleeping next to Fili and Kili.  The brothers tended to squish him, so used to sleeping beside each other that they migrated together in the night.  They'd wake in the morning in awkward tangles.  Bofur was a clingy sleeper; he'd nestle close but there was always plenty of room.  Being this close to another person was different, Bilbo reflected as he pulled his blanket up around his chin.  Different... but nice.

 

**Dwalin**

Thankfully the nights grew warmer and Bilbo stayed well.  Without any comments, everyone went back to the previous sleeping arrangements.  Not that they go much sleeping done after they set camp near those blasted trolls.  No sleep that night and running all the next day-- know that death could be the result of one misstep. 

Bless Gandalf, for bringing them to Rivendell.  (No matter how much Thorin brooded and griped.  It was good to sit for a breath, to eat and sleep without constantly straining to hear warg growls or orc footsteps.  None of the Dwarves would ever admit that though. 

Soon they had to move on from the Hidden Valley.  They had a deadline, one they could not afford to miss. A single setback could change their world. 

Bilbo had never wished for boots before... He did that night.  Rocks dug like dull knives into the bottom of his feet, while water made it nigh impossible to find a footing. The Dwarves found little problem of course.  Bastards. 

Damp caves were like the halls of Yavanna after the weather on the mountain, tongue-lashing from Thorin aside.  Wet and cold they would be, but at least the night wasn't likely to get any worse.

He was just settling down against the icy rock when Dwalin lumbered over.  "Move over, burglar."

"What! Why?" Bilbo saw no reason for the burly Dwarf to be talking to him.

"When you get cold and wet, you get sick.  We cannot have any more delays." He crossed his thick arms and stared down at the Hobbit, daring him to argue.

"Oh, very well then." and Bilbo moved over.

Dwalin sat with a thump.  All the blankets were soaked so they just sat with their sides pressed together uncomfortably.  Dwalin nodded off first, being used to sleeping in odd situations.  The Hobbit sighed and shifted; he doubted he'd be able to get much sleep that night.

Bilbo jolted out of his sleep.  His ears were still ringing from the guttural snore one of the Dwarves had produced.  He'd only intended to rest his aching eyes for a moment.  Obviously that had not gone as intended.  The first rays of dawn were tingeing the sky; sometime during the night Dwalin had shift and was now clinging to the Hobbit like moss to rock. This was... an unexpected complication.

After everything Thorin had said the night before, Bilbo had planned on being gone and halfway to Rivendell before dawn.  Now he was in a death grip he wasn't sure he could get out of without waking the other Dwarves, much  less Dwalin. 

He spotted Oin's pack right beside him; wriggling his arm free, Bilbo pulled the pack over and on to his chest.  Dwalin's arm lifted to wrap around both the pack and the Hobbit.  Immediately, Bilbo rolled away.  Bow the dwarf was clutching the full pack instead of the skinny burglar.

Nodding, Bilbo began to check his pack and gather his things... it was time to go.

**Bifur**

It was sad to say, Bilbo hadn't had much interaction with Bifur.  The midst of Mirkwood probably wasn't the ideal place but... pickers can't be choosers.

After the first disastrous attempt to light a fire on the path, the company had taken to sleeping upright back to back.  Bifur had approached him that night and clapped him on the shoulder, grumbling something cheerfully in Khuzdul.  He must have noticed Bilbo's confusion and gestured to where Fili and Kili were already sitting together then motioned between the two of them. 

Bilbo was momentarily thrown.  Surely Bifur would want to be next to someone who understood Khuzdul?  The salt and pepper Dwarf didn't make to leave though, so Bilbo smiled and nodded.

It was unexpectedly pleasant to spend time with Bifur.  He should have done it more often.  The others were never ones to have a quiet moment.  Even Ori, the shyest of the bunch, did not read or knit silently.  But Bifur and Bilbo could not communicate clearly.  This led to a bubble of peace as each sat contemplating quietly.

Too bad the spiders had to ruin it. 

 

**Ori**

"Ah... Ahchoo!" He was sick again.  This was getting ridiculous!  But maybe it could be expected when one was escaping a dungeon in barrels down a river on the cusp of winter.

"Here you are, Bilbo.  Oin suggested you drink plenty of this." Ori plopped the steaming mug into the Hobbit's hands.

"Thank you, Ori," He took a deep sip, feeling the warmth flow into his center. "Why aren't you out with the others?"

Ori's face turned sour. "Dori and Nori don't want me wandering about.  They think I'll get in trouble."

Bilbo smiled, "Their loss is my gain.  It'd be quite lonely to sit here by myself."

At this, Ori lit up.  It was always nice to know you were wanted.  The Dwarf seemed to contemplate something for a moment.  He then went to his pack over by the window, digging to the bottom.  At last he pulled out a small book.  Entirely battered and stained with singe marks along one edge, it was still a very beautiful book.  Ori handled with something that resembled reverence. 

He heaved himself up onto the tall bed with Bilbo, settling in close to the Hobbit. "You probably shouldn't tell Thorin that you've seen this." Bilbo looked at him in askance.

"This book is... well, the closet translation would be Fathers' History.  Every family has one, to be passed down as long as possible; so that we will never forget our past.  This is one of the few that made it out of Erebor."  Suddenly Bilbo understood. Dwarves were very possessive of their history and culture.  This book was everything they were.

Ori opened to page marked by a deep blue ribbon.  Pressed to Bilbo's side, his friend began to tell him the story of Durin:  Thorin's ancestor.  Bilbo was lulled to sleep by Ori's low voice and the history of the Dwarves.

**Thorin**

The death stench was nearly overwhelming, even in the healing tents.  Nearly every able-bodied man was out in the field finding the bodies of the Men, Elves, and Dwarves that had fought in the battle.  Bilbo, on the other hand, hadn't left the tent for days.  Fili and Kili were thankfully out of the woods now.  The eldest would always have deep gouges on his scalp and neck, and Kili might not shoot another arrow, but they would both live.

Thorin might not.  He looked gone already.  Still, he chest rose and fell with breath.  Still, he clung to life by a gossamer thread.  That was enough for the Hobbit.

Belladonna always said people could hear you on their sickbed (Bilbo refused to think of it as a deathbed), that they only needed a reason to wake up and answer. So... Bilbo told him everything.  About Balin juggling the leaders of three races.  That Beorn took great pleasure in embarrassing the Elves.  The story of Nori breaking into the Master's study and Ori copying the proof of his theft for the masses.

Eventually, in the middle of a Shire story, he woke.  Bilbo rushed to the entrance to have Bofur spread the news.  Thorin was groggy and his speech was slurred and he was _awake._  

The Hobbit hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the edge of the man-size cot.  "Thorin? Thorin, can you hear me?  Are you in pain?"  The dwarf just mumbled in choppy Khuzdul. 

Bilbo crossed the tent for water, precariously moving back to the cot with cup.  "Drink some of this.  You need it."

Thorin tried to guzzle the water, but Bilbo managed to slow him.  He was still mumbling in Khuzdul when Oin came in a few minutes later.  Bilbo feared a head wound like Bifur's; the healer assured him that it was just the King's confusion causing him to revert to his mother tongue.

No one stayed long because Thorin needed his rest.  Bilbo was left to sit with him.  Soon the dark-haired Dwarf was tossing with battle-dreams and Bilbo was back in the cot, soothing him.

Running fingers through his friend's hair, Bilbo sang Shire lullabies and told the stories Ori read to him from memory.  At last, the king was sleeping peacefully.  The Hobbit, exhausted, scooted down and fell asleep entwined with his friend.


End file.
